Twenty-FIVE students broke new ground in the city on Monday, as the semester began for Shanghai first primary and middle school classes specifically set up for the children of returned overseas Chinese.

The six middle school and 19 primary school students will study English, Chinese and math in their own class at the Jing'an Foreign Language School, but join local students for other subjects, such as history and art.

Previously, many returned overseas Chinese sent their children to international schools in the city. Some returned children who attend regular public schools have difficulty adapting to the style of teaching here and often struggle due to their poor Chinese.

The pilot program, set up by the Shanghai Personnel Bureau, fulfills the local government's promise to provide proper education for children of the city's 32,000 returned professionals, who were lured back by booming business and professional opportunities here.

The move should also help the city in its plans effort to offer 10,000 technology and management job to returned professionals and students over the next two-three years.

"I don't want my children to be totally exposed to a Westernized education," said the father of one student, surnamed Zhang. "Anyway, we are Chinese," he said.

Zhang added that the high tuition fees at international schools, which can be as much as US$15,000 per year, is another reason he prefers the new program.

The school charges return-ed students the same tuition as their local classmates - 3,000 yuan (US$361.45) each semester - officials said.

Returned children who can read Chinese newspapers are eligible to enroll in the school, located on Beijing Road.

School principal Li Meizhen said most overseas students are strong at oral English but lag behind in Chinese and math.

"The classes are designed to make up for their curriculum defects and fully exert their creative personalities as well." Li said, adding that the classes are taught by local teachers who have studied abroad.

The arrival of the overseas students is impacting their local classmates, school officials added.

"Compared with their peers, these students are quite creative and outspoken."

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